NIGERIAN JOURNAL OF PHILOSOPHICAL STUDIES

It is often taken for granted that women are becoming increasingly influential in contemporary society. This position is apparently supported by the visibility of women in the academic, corporate and political arena. However, this paper contends however that the seemingly rise of the influence of women is only apparent and cosmetic . This is so because the rise in the number of women operating in the traditionally male dominated public sphere does not necessarily translate to decisive influence on the content, process and outcome of public policy.This paper seeks to illuminate the juxtaposition of women's growing visibility with their systemic powerlessness in Nigeria by critically examining the role that gender plays in the deliberations and dialogues in the public sphere. Taking its departure from Nancy Fraser and other feminist critique of Habermas' emphasis on the role of rationality as the modus operandi in the public sphere, the paper demonstrates how the operational norm of the latter excludes women from exerting the level of control that correspond to their improved presence in the public space. Beyond this, certain powerful cultural barriers which define social expectation about the proper role of women in the public space are highlighted.In conclusion, the paper argues that the prominence given to women issues and the deliberate policy to increase the number of women in the public realm does not necessarily translate to women empowerment. Rather, it is in keeping with the current vogue in western societies

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